In an effort to help those directly affected by the earthquake in Haiti, several groups are organizing fundraisers throughout the state:

On Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. the Rhode Island Young Professionals will be hosting a fundraiser at Henry’s Bar and Grill, 1 Keys Way, West Warwick. The money raised will be donated to the La Providence Organization to help with their efforts to provide the people of Haiti with the supplies needed to restore pride and hope. There will be a special performance by the band Rooted Sound, as well as raffles.

The Episcopal Charities will hold a benefit for earthquake relief on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. The benefit will be held at the Cathedral of St. John, 271 N. Main St. in Providence. There will be music from a variety of Episcopal choirs and brief comments from two Haitian speakers. All proceeds will benefit the Episcopal Relief and Development and the Society of St. Margaret in Haiti. All donations are welcome.

United Way of Rhode Island announced Friday that people wishing to give to victims of the earthquake can donate money online through United Way Worldwide by visiting LIVEUNITEDri.org. In addition, donations can be made to the Fund by dialing (866)-404-5826 or via standard mail. Checks can be made out to United Way (memo line should read "United Way Disaster Recovery Fund) and mailed to United Way Worldwide, P.O. Box 630568, Baltimore, MD 21263-0568. People can make a $5 donation by texting HAITI to 864833 (UNITED).

In a statement released on Friday, Governor Carcieri urged Rhode Islanders to donate money to one of the established international relief agencies in Haiti, including: Catholic Relief Services (phone: 888-277-7575; e-mail: info@crs.org) - Oxfam (phone: 800-776-9326; Web site: www.oxfamamerica.org) - Plan International (phone: 800-556-7918; Web site: www.planusa.org) - The International Red Cross (phone: 800-733-2767; Web site: www.redcross.org)

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross International Response Fund and the company will match employee contributions to charitable partner Global Impact, dollar for dollar up to $50,000. Also, OptumHealth, UnitedHealth Group’s health and wellness business, is providing a free emotional-support help line for people in the United States that may have relatives or friends in Haiti. Staffed by experienced behavioral health specialists, the help line offers assistance to callers seeking help in dealing with stress, anxiety and the grieving process. The toll-free help line number is 1-866-342-6892 and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for as long as necessary. This service is free of charge.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is also helping to reconnect separated families within the country. They have established a special Web site, enabling persons in Haiti and abroad to search for and register the names of relatives missing since the earthquake: www.icrc.org/familylinks. The Red Cross urgently needs funds to support its efforts in Haiti. Donations can be made online at www.redcross.org, by texting the message “Haiti” to 90999 or by phone to 1-800-REDCROSS. Donors can also call the local Red Cross here in Rhode Island and make a donation by phone at 401-831-7700, or send a check to the office at 105 Gano Street, Providence, RI 02906. Please indicate “Haiti” on the check.

A number of contact points have been established by FEMA for those offering help. State and local government only, with the exception of large, regional or national businesses, should send a description of the help offered by e-mail to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at: helphaiti@state.gov, in the subject line of the e-mail state in a few words the help being offered which will allow the USAID team to quickly categorize that help. In the body of the e-mail describe in detail the materials or help being offered. Individuals offering help should go to the USAID Web site at www.cidi.org, where instructions on how to proceed can be found. This Web site is extremely busy and will take time for people to get into.

The Jewish Federation of Rhode Island (JFRI) announced Friday that a special relief fund has been created for the victims and families of the earthquake in Haiti. Donations may be made online at www.JFRI.org, or by mailing checks with notations of "For Haiti Earthquake Relief" to the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, 130 Sessions St., Providence, RI 02906. For more information, call 401-421-4111 x173.

National Grid is contributing $100,000 to The American Red Cross to support relief efforts and the company will also match all employee donations to the American Red Cross for Haiti through the end of February.

Social media and text messaging campaigns that make it easier for individuals to donate to a cause have helped international aid organizations raise large amounts of money in record time for Haiti earthquake relief efforts, Bloomberg.com reports. Some ways to donate through text messaging are:

Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross

Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5 to International Rescue Committee

Text HAITI to 45678 to donate $5 to the Salvation Army in Canada

Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele

Text RELIEF to 30644 to get automatically connected to Catholic Relief Services and donate money with your credit card

Text HAITI to 864833 to donate $5 to The United Way

Text CERF to 90999 to donate $5 to The United Nations Foundation

Text DISASTER to 90999 to donate $10 to Compassion International